I want God to ignite my words with a match made in Heaven so that they burn in the heart of everyone who reads them or hears them, making them a furnace that spreads God’s warmth and light around the world.

“The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories.” –Churchformen.com. Why does church in the U.S. not reach more men?

“Men are hard-wired for risk taking—particularly young men. Churches need men because men are natural risk takers—and they bring that orientation into the church. Congregations that do not take risks atrophy. Jesus made it clear that risk taking is necessary to please God. In the parable of the talents, the master praises two servants who risked their assets and produced more, but he curses the servant who played it safe. He who avoids all risk is, in the words of Jesus, ‘wicked and lazy’.” –David Murrow (From the book Why Men Hate Going To Church)

“Men don’t follow programs; they follow men.” –David Murrow

“A business guru once said, ‘Your system is perfectly designed to give you the results you’re getting.” Christianity’s primary delivery system, the local church, is perfectly designed to reach women and older folks. That’s why our pews are filled with them. But this church system offers little to stir the masculine heart, so men find it dull and irrelevant. The more masculine the man, the more likely he is to dislike church.” –David Murrow

For some reason, participatory church at The Salvation Army Berry Street goes against the U.S. trend and attracts men! Almost every Sunday there are more men than women. One recent Sunday there were 70% men. The children’s/teen’s ministry is usually 90% boys.

Why does participatory church attract men? 1) There is risk! 2) There is excitement! 3) There are actual demonstrations of God’s presence, not just theology! 4) Anybody present has the opportunity to speak out and impact the meeting! 5) There is a strong sense of community & brotherhood! 6) People are not passively spoon-fed the Gospel, but are allowed to actively interact with and minister to one another. 7) Participatory church is not a tight, prepackaged program. 8) The direction of the meeting is uncertain and keeps people alert and involved.

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About Steve Simms

I like to look and think outside the box. In college I encountered Jesus Christ and I have been passionate about trying to get to know Him better ever since. My wife and I co-lead a non-traditional expression of the body of Christ in Nashville based on open participation and Spirit-led sharing. We long to see the power and passion of the first Christ-followers come to life in our time. I have written a book about our experiences called, "Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible--Ekklesia" that is available in Kindle & paperback @ http://amzn.to/2nCr5dP

3 Responses to Man Up! (Participatory/Organic Church Reaches Men!)

Me and Lisa were talking good about you. Did you feel the positive vibe? That meeting went excellent and I felt Jesus very strong. Keep it up. We need to do another street witnessing. I’m feeling it. I’m expecting to see healings and miracles.